Simple
by XAuhoraAtraX
Summary: No. Hazel's life wasn't simple. Never was it simple. And now it wasn't innocent either.


A/N: First let me say that this fic is completely spur of the moment. And a real need to get my Lazel feels out of the way. Because they're over the brim at the moment. Hope you enjoy. I feel so guilty. Deep, dark Mark of Athena spoilers ahead. Read at your own cute little risk!

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Hazel Levesque just wished things were simpler again.

That was a weird thing to say; her life was _never_ simple. But as she sat in her cabin of the Argo II, listening to the groaning of the huge ship as it continued to sail in the star-strewn sky, Hazel prayed to the gods for the last bit of simpleness there was left in her world.

Frank.

But even Frank, and the simpleness of loving him, of falling for him and no one us was taken from her. And in a very big way. Hazel couldn't even wonder what she did wrong in life to deserve this, because apparently the strings of fate have been pulling and manipulating her life by the goddess Hera even before she was conceived.

Hazel did not curse, or at least not in the company of her friends - or anyone for that matter -**_ but what a motherfucker._**

Percy and Annabeth were pulled into the pit of Tartarus only hours ago, the Argo II was flying away from Rome peacefully. Hazel lay back into the pillows, her night was going to be anything but peaceful; all she could think of was Leo. Her two friends were in the darkest, scariest part of the Underworld of which not even Hades or Thanatos has traveled into, and she could think of nothing but Leo Valdez. He had that much power over her feelings.

It wasn't so much that he was Sammy's great-great grandson (although that had been a adequate little kick in the pants, thanks Hera.) but Leo had every single feature that had belonged to Sammy etched into his face, though. . sometimes Hazel liked to think that it was some sort of half-assed apology on Hera's part, like a restart, or a second chance.

No.

_No_, Hazel thought._ I can't start thinking like that_. Leo was his own person, the sweet, dorky, laughable mechanic of a person he was. And it was very un-lady like how her body responded to the slightest touch Leo gave her, or the smallest of glances. It made the gears of Hazel's skin ignite with want, a want for him to get closer . .and since it was Leo, he probably had something to do with that. . maybe he could light a fire for them. . they could just sit under it, forget about the rest of the world, laugh and talk, hold hands, kiss. .

At that point it didn't matter how much she had loved Frank, or how much she once loved Sammy, because Hazel was hopelessly head-over-heals with Leo, the one and only.

There was a rap on the door, Hazel perked. She almost expected it to be Percy or Annabeth checking up on her, a sharp pain went through her chest as if she had impaled herself with her cavalry sword. She really should have asked Annabeth for some advice before. . .

_Yeah, there down in Tartarus fighting for their lives while I'm stuck fantasizing._

"Hey, Hazel, you up?" It was Leo's voice (of course it was Leo, with how her life had been going how could it not be Leo?) whispering behind the door.

Hazel didn't have the nerve nor the real desire to turn him away. "Come in." She said, biting her lip.

Leo let the door creak open, the faintest of smiles was across his face. "Hey." He said, closing the door behind her. Hazel had grown to really hate people closing doors like that, with their backs turned, facing her. It gave her a feeling of being trapped.

Trapped with Leo? Hazel gulped.

"How're you feeling?" He asked, his chocolate-brown eyes stared into Hazel's bronze ones. She could see that he was probably - if not more - confused and tired than she was.

She had no interest in lying to him, it would only sound feeble. "Fine." She said softly.

"How's Nico holding up?" Leo wondered, coming around and sitting on the edge of Hazel's bed.

Hazel, for once, smiled. "He's doing alright, he's going to need a lot of sleep and food for the next couple of days. But he should start to come around, those pomegranate seeds really saved him. But barely."

Leo nodded, although Hazel wondered if he actually absorbed any of the information.

"Another question: How are you holding up?"

Hazel's smile faltered, and suddenly she started to feel her exhaustion ten-fold. She felt sluggish, she felt every bone in her body ache, she felt so tired she wanted to turn on her pillow and fall asleep forever like what was planned for her when she died.

Instead, she simply said. "I'm alright too."

"At least we're alright, for the time being." Leo said, and Hazel felt strangely comforted.

But not enough to bite back the comment, "Wish I could say the same for Annabeth and Percy."

Hazel hoped that Leo didn't take that as a shot at him. It was no one's fault that happened it was simply Gaea, and possibly Hera's, but Hazel felt the need to blame Hera for everything these days. The idea of her running away from her family and her home on Olympus gave Hazel a vindictive satisfaction that she couldn't really explain. Hmm, serves the goddess right. Let her see what's it like to have no one to turn to.

Hazel was so preoccupied with her fantasy of Hera avoiding large rocks thrown at her during her banishment that she failed to notice Leo's eyes on her lips, when she turned to him he looked away. Hazel blushed, and if she looked closely enough at Leo she could see the small trace of red on his cheeks as well.

It seemed like he was fighting something, trying to force it back down his throat, but apparently it won because he finally spoke, "Hazel. . about Sammy. . and just. .other stuff that's been going on between us."

Hazel's palms suddenly developed small beads of sweat; it made her happy that these feelings weren't just shouldered by her. Leo felt something too. It made her happy, for several reasons. But she kept quiet, only nodded in response.

"Look, while we were being held by Aphros underwater I told Frank that. . well, that I wasn't moving in on you. I thought what I felt for you was over after we saw Sammy's memories and. . . I still like you, Hazel." Leo looked up, his eyes filled with longing. "A lot, like, a lot, and I don't want to make Frank mad at me for trying to -"

Hazel really didn't know what happened, it was all a real blur, but at some point in Leo's sentence Hazel had rung her arms around his neck and clashed her lips with his. it set flames to him - literally - as one of Leo's fingertips had set flame, he had put it out with a rapid flick of his hand but the shock had not subsided.

This couldn't be a kiss, no. This was not kiss. The kisses Frank gave her were nothing like this. They were pure and innocent and couldn't be a kiss. It was filled with too much heat and lust held back for too long and longing.

Still it was sloppy, this had been the first time Hazel had ever had a kiss like this, and Leo, she could sense, this had been the first time he'd ever had a real kiss ever.

Leo let go, looking back into her dark bronze-colored eyes. "And here I said that I wouldn't make a move on you. . "

Hazel could see the disappointment printed in his features, but it was overshadowed by his need to have his lips on her again, and his arms explore her body. Leo lowered his head to grab another kiss from her.

No. Hazel's life was simple. Never was it simple.

And now it wasn't innocent either.

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Oh gods this was awful. I hope you all enjoyed it though!


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